Morocco expels journalists and detains hundreds near Ceuta border

Moroccan authorities have ordered news teams from RTVE and Agencia EFE to leave the town of Castillejos (Fnideq) while they were covering the migration situation near the border with the Spanish enclave of Ceuta. RTVE expressed ‘most energetic rejection’ of the measure, noting that the order was delivered verbally without formal written justification or administrative motivation. The public broadcaster emphasized that the expulsion limits access to information in a zone of high public interest.

Simultaneously, Moroccan security forces detained 294 individuals attempting to enter Ceuta, including 248 migrants from sub-Saharan Africa and 46 Moroccan citizens. Additionally, at least 61 people were arrested in Morocco on suspicion of using social media to incite irregular migration.

The Spanish government has responded by stating it defends ‘press freedom in every place and under all circumstances,’ with the Spanish embassy in Rabat maintaining contact with both the journalists and Moroccan authorities to resolve the situation.